Achaea

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Achaea was created out of the former prefecture Achaea (Greek: Νομός Αχαΐας). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.[3]

• Province of Aigialeia - Aigio
• Province of Kalavryta - Kalavryta
• Province of Patras - Patras

Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.

Map of ancient Peloponnese.

The Achaean League was a Hellenistic-era confederation of city states in Achaea, founded in 280/281 BC. It later grew until it included most of Peloponnese, much reducing the Macedonian rule in the area.

After Macedon's defeat by the Romans in the early 2nd century BC, the League was able to finally defeat a heavily weakened Sparta and take control of the entire Peloponnese. However, as the Roman influence in the area grew, the league erupted into an open revolt against Roman domination, in what is known as Achaean War. The Achaeans were defeated at the Battle of Corinth (146 BC), and the League was dissolved by the Romans.

In AD 51/52, Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus was proconsul of Achaea, and is portrayed (under the name "Gallio") in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, in the Bible, as presiding over the trial of the Apostle Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:12–17).

Byzantine Greece, ca. 900 AD

Map of Frankish Greece with the Principality of Achaea.

Achaea remained a province of the Byzantine Empire after the fall of the western Roman Empire. In the 6th and 7th centuries, Slavs invaded the Peloponnese, and settled in parts of Achaea as well. By the 9th century, the whole peninsula was under Byzantine control again. However, after the Fourth Crusade several new crusader states were founded in Greece. One of these was the Principality of Achaea, founded in 1205, which like the Roman province covered a much larger area than traditional Achaea. Achaea was recaptured by the Byzantine Empire by 1430, and became part of the Despotate of the Morea.

The Despotate of the Morea fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1460. As a part of the Morean War, the Republic of Venice captured Achaea in 1687 and held it until 1715, when the Ottomans recaptured the Peloponnese. Under Ottoman rule, Achaea was part of the Morea Eyalet.

In the Greek War of Independence, Aigio was one of the first cities to be liberated by the Greeks and all of Achaea was liberated by the end of 1821. Achaea produced several heroes including Kanaris, Zaimis and Roufos and prime ministers of Greece including Andreas Michalakopoulos as well as some head of states.

In the first administrative subdivision of independent Greece, Achaea was part of the Achaea and Elis Prefecture. This was divided into the prefectures of Achaea and Elis in 1899. Achaea and Elis were reunited in 1909, and split again in 1930.

Achaea saw an influx of refugees that arrived from Asia Minor during the Greco Turkish War of 1919-1922. Tens of thousands were relocated to their camps in the suburbs of Patras and a few villages mainly within the coastline. One of the camps was named Prosfygika.

The main cities and towns of Achaea are (ranked by 2011 census population):

• Patras 269,034
• Aigio 40,664
• Kato Achaia 11,880

Intercity bus transport is provided by KTEL Achaias. The main bus terminal is in the city of Patras.

The main highways are:

• Ionia Odos (A5, part of E55): Rio - Antirrio - Arta - Ioannina
• Greek National Road 8, old road Athens - Corinth - Rio - Patras
• Greek National Road 8A (part of E55 and E65): Athens - Corinth - Rio - Patras
• Greek National Road 9 (part of E55): Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia - Pylos
• Greek National Road 31: Aigio - Kalavryta
• Greek National Road 33: Patras - Tritaia - Lampeia - Vlacherna

• Achagiotika Nea - Kato Achaia
• Allagi - Patras
• Elliniki Dimokratia - Patras
• Epi ta proso - Patras
• Evdomada - Patras
• Filodimos - Aigio
• Frouros tis Anatolikis Aigialeias - Akrata and eastern Aigaleia
• Ta Gegonota tis Achaias - Achaea
• I Gnomi - Patras
• Imera - Patras[4]
• Imerisios Kyrix - Patras
• Kosmos tis Patras - Patras
• Paraliaki - Patras
• Patraiki Evdomada - Patras
• Politis ton Patron - Patras - political
• Proodos - Patras
• Proti tis Aigaleias - Aigio and Aigaleia
• Simerini - Patras
• Splats - a fanzine based in Patras
• Sport Week - Patras - sports
• Sportivo west - Patras - sports
• Styx - Akrata
• Symvoulos Epocheiriseon - Patras

• Achaikos Kyrix - an older newspaper of Patras
• Tachydromos tis Anatolis - Patras, one of the few newspapers that were only published in French

• ERA Patras - Rio
• Super B - Patras
• Top FM - 93 FM
• Ionion FM - 95.8 FM
• Radio Gamma - 96 FM
• MFM
• Radio Aigio - 99.2 FM
• You FM - 100.1 FM (launched in 2006/2007)
• Mojo FM - 107.9 FM

• Achaia Channel - Patrast
• Patra TV - Patras
• Super B - Patras
• Tele Con - extinct
• Tele Time - regional
• AXION - Aigio

Division rankings were as of the 2005-06 season for most teams, for football (soccer), they are run by the Achaea Football Clubs Association:

Teams with multiple sporting clubs

• Panegialios F.C. - Aigio - second division
• Achaios Saravali Patras - Saravali - fourth division
• Anagennisi/Aias Sympoliteia - Rododafni
• Apollon Patras, A1 Basketleague
• Atromitos Patras - fourth division
• Diakopto AC - Diakopto - fourth division
• Fostiras Ovrias FC - Ovrya, fourth division
• Iraklis Patras - Patras, fourth division
• NO Patras - Patras, A2 League/Water polo
• NE Patras - Patras, A2 League/Water polo
• Olympiakos Aigio - Aigio, fourth division
• Olympiakos Kamares - Kamares - fourth division
• Olympiakos Patras - Patras - fourth division
• Ormi Patras - Patras, A1 League/ Women's Handball
• Panachaiki - Patras, third division
• E.A. Patras - Patras, third division/Volleyball
• Spartakos Ovrya - Ovrya - third division (as of 2007)
• Thyella Patras F.C. - Patras, third division
• A.P.S. Zavlani - fourth division

Basketball only

• Promitheas Patras B.C.
• A.O. Skagiopouleio

Defunct and historic teams

• Lefkos Asteras - Patras
• Thriamvos Patras - Patras, now part of NE Patras